title: NKT cells: the smoking gun in fungal-induced asthma?
abstract: Aspergillus fumigatus is a fungus that is associated with a severe form of asthma, although the precise immunological basis for this disease is unclear. A new study in mice shows that natural killer T (NKT) cells are crucial for progression of A. fumigatus–induced asthma and also identifies a glycolipid antigen from this fungus that seems to drive this NKT cell–mediated inflammatory response (pages 1297–1304).
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Dale I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Godfrey
authors.forename: Daniel G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Pellicci
authors.forename: Jamie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rossjohn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus / Q000737:chemistry*; D016535:Bronchial Hyperreactivity / Q000276:immunology*; D006028:Glycosphingolipids / Q000276:immunology*; D055611:Natural Killer T-Cells / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D006028:Glycosphingolipids